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<p>NHS England has committed £20 million between 2022 and 2025 to fund the expansion
of HIV opt-out testing in accident and emergency (A&E) departments in areas with
extremely high HIV prevalence. To further maximise the opportunity afforded by the funding
for HIV opt-out testing, NHS England decided to implement a combined blood borne viruses
(BBV) approach to include Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C testing alongside HIV. The NHS
England London region took a decision to include all A&E departments in London
the project, some of which were high HIV prevalence areas.</p><p>Data from NHS England
indicates that this BBV opt-out testing initiative has helped find more than 900 people
unaware they are living with HIV, or not accessing HIV care and over 2500 people living
with, or not accessing care for Hepatitis B and over 1000 people living with or not
accessing care for Hepatitis C during the first 18 months of the programme.</p><p>On
9 November 2023, the UK Health Security Agency published an evaluation of the first
year of the BBV opt-out testing in A&E departments in local areas with extremely
high HIV prevalence. Findings show that the programme has made a significant contribution
to BBV testing in England with more than half the number of tests done in the programme
compared to BBV tests in other settings.</p><p>After careful consideration of the
available evidence, the Government has now also committed £20 million to fund new
research, commissioned through the National Institute for Health and Care Research
(NIHR), that will involve an expansion and evaluation of BBV opt out testing in a
further 47 emergency departments, in high prevalence HIV areas across England (2 or
more HIV cases per 1,000 residents). Funding will support 12 months of testing for
each emergency department, to begin during the next financial year.</p>
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